Top 10 Tough International Golf Holes

The U.S. is filled with amazing and memorable golf holes, from the windswept 18th at Pebble Beach to the nerve-rattling island green of Sawgrass’ 17th. A great number of similarly historic and amazing holes can be found outside the Land of the Free. From South America to Japan, international golf courses house countless unforgettable holes.

Here’s a list of the top 10 international golf holes that have made a divot of an impression on golfers the world over.

Number 10

Hole No. 17 - Ocean Course, Cabo del Sol Golf Club

175-yard par 3Los Cabos, Mexico

Golf designers love Mexico: It offers stunning scenery and super-lax environmental laws that allow them to build golf holes just about anywhere they want. This par-3 stunner by Jack Nicklaus skirts the Sea of Cortes, offering sweeping ocean views and the chance to witness breeching whales.Memorable moment: Designer Jack Nicklaus humbly called the final three holes “the finest finishing holes in golf.” In 1996, he got a chance to show just how fine they were when he battled Mexico’s favorite golfing son, Lee Trevino, in a televised match as part of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf.

Number 9

Hole No. 16 - Carnoustie Golf Links

245-yard par 3Carnoustie, Scotland

It's long and it often plays into the biting teeth of the Scottish wind. Furthermore, it’s guarded by a ridiculous complex of evil ball-gobbling bunkers and skirted by impenetrable brush. Some anguished golfers contend it should be a par 3.5. At the 2007 British Open, the hole will bare its evil grin once again.

Memorable moment: Tom Watson had five chances to get par on this hole during the 1975 Open Championship, and failed to do so even once. Despite this display of golf ineptitude, he still somehow managed to win the tournament.

Number 8

Hole No. 12 - Royal Birkdale Golf Club

183-yard par 3Southport, England

When standing on the tee of this devilish par 3, you have to look hard to pick the green out of the surrounding hills covered in thigh-high rough. Even if you do manage to spot it, you still have to battle a feisty crosswind and avoid the two deep-yawning bunkers that guard the tiny stamp of a green. Isn’t golf supposed to be relaxing?

Memorable moment: The course has hosted the British Open eight times, and the quality of the winners is a testament to the difficulty of this hole; Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, and Johnny Miller aren't exactly unknown chumps.

A field that Babe Ruth struck out on and a hole omitted from the 1998 President’s Cup to help the pros save face…